Can I Remove A No Parking Sign?
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Just to be awkward really but... 
Seriously, my neighbours are causing me so much stress! It all started off rather amusing that they were trying to annoy me but it is actually getting ridiculous now!
I do odd bits of work from home (which is all above board and registered) and occasionally it has been known for clients to use my 'neighbour's' parking space to park on.. When asked to move, they have done!
In the past few weeks instead of causing aggro I have been parking across the road to allow clients to park in my space. I can only assume my neighbour's think I'm playing games with them as they've now started parking their 2nd car right in the middle of what could be 2 spaces to stop me parking across the road - pretty daft really as it was for their benefit, or so I thought?
My neighbour at the left side told me yesterday that the right side had suggested they park closer to 'my' space to block me out! Both sides of my house now have 'no parking signs' on their walls outside the house - now, I know the signs mean diddly squat but what would be the issue if I decided to take them down?
I was going to go knock at their's earlier to ask what they're playing at since I've been morally quite understanding and now they're taking the mick but I know I would've got too frustrated so didn't bother...
Any tips/advice please? I know legally NONE of us have any rights over the road space but what can I do to get this sorted
Seriously, my neighbours are causing me so much stress! It all started off rather amusing that they were trying to annoy me but it is actually getting ridiculous now!
I do odd bits of work from home (which is all above board and registered) and occasionally it has been known for clients to use my 'neighbour's' parking space to park on.. When asked to move, they have done!
In the past few weeks instead of causing aggro I have been parking across the road to allow clients to park in my space. I can only assume my neighbour's think I'm playing games with them as they've now started parking their 2nd car right in the middle of what could be 2 spaces to stop me parking across the road - pretty daft really as it was for their benefit, or so I thought?
My neighbour at the left side told me yesterday that the right side had suggested they park closer to 'my' space to block me out! Both sides of my house now have 'no parking signs' on their walls outside the house - now, I know the signs mean diddly squat but what would be the issue if I decided to take them down?
I was going to go knock at their's earlier to ask what they're playing at since I've been morally quite understanding and now they're taking the mick but I know I would've got too frustrated so didn't bother...
Any tips/advice please? I know legally NONE of us have any rights over the road space but what can I do to get this sorted
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Comments
Surely it would have been better to have sorted out the parking issues when clients started visiting your home but having ignored it the situation has now escalated. You seem to believe that going round to "ask them what they are playing at" is more helpful than they deserve so have decided not to. You created the problem so it is up to you to resolve it and that means rebuilding fences with your neighbours, finding a solution they are happy with and apologising for causing the problem in the first place....but I somehow doubt you will do any of that.
THIS.
Rather than pussying about on the internet go round and invite the bloke over for a beer and discuss it like men.
By the sounds of it, he probably feels at least as aggrieved as you over this, and these things can fester if you don't behave like adults.
Presumably at the outset you knew that parking space was limited so you should have spoken to your neighbours and advised them what was going on with your clients even though as you rightly say anyone can park in front of your house, as long as they're not across a dropped kerb/drive or breaking restrictions.
Residents tend to blow a fuse and react in positively medieval fashion to incursions on what they believe is an extension to their property rights, which is what has happened to you. Pulling down the No Parking signs is likely to lead to a spectacular falling out that you will never be able to resolve and which by your tone you don't want.
There are no sides. Parking on a public highway has no restrictions.
You neighbours signs mean nothing and aren't legally enforcible.
Even though you seem to have been reasonable in telling your visitors to move when asked, I think your only way forward is to discuss it with the neighbours (as others have said).
Someone used to use the space outside our house and it used to bug me, even though neither of us drove. My husband's family were always nipping over to see us, and I felt aggrieved that they'd struggle to park in my "own parking space" if they turned up. Luckily, I usually knew when they were coming and I could get the car moved, but I didn't ask in a friendly manner - I was usually a bit tetchy about it.
I agree with you, and the OP knows this too, but when you live in close proximity to your neighbours and parking spaces are restricted, they are often jealously guarded. This is one of those circumstances where it's better to get on with your neighbours and obey the unwritten law rather than inflame your neighbours and quote the written law.
it's the other neighbours that appear to have been devious here by trying to manufacture obstructive parking.
+1 for this.
It is this ignorance that leads to such conflict.
If you need your own parking space, why not apply to have the curb dropped and permission to alter your front garden?
If this is not possible, then perhaps you should move into a property with these facilities?
Your neighbor could complain to the police and you might be charged with theft. Irrespective of the rights and wrongs those signs belong to the neighbor(s) and removing things that do not belong to you without lawful authority is a criminal offence.
If you complain to the council about the unauthorized signs they can ask the neighbor to remove them. Council highways authorities have a statutory duty to prevent the installation of unapproved signs on the highway.
But one thing to consider is that if you rock the boat and the neighbors start also complaining to the council you might find that the council might decide to address the nuisance by imposing a resident parking scheme or other statutory parking restrictions, which may adversely affect your business. If you rock the boat too much the council might decide that the issues caused mean you need to get a change of use planning consent, which I would imagine your neighbors would object to.
https://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/workingfromhome/
I'd suggest that you put some more effort into encouraging your clients to show consideration for your neighbors, and working to try to reach a compromise with your neighbors.
You should also consider if your current premises are really appropriate for this type of business use, IMO having clients visit goes beyond the scope of normal home working, so it is perhaps not surprising you are experiencing problems.
Bear in mind, it seems as though what the OP is doing is only what the neighbours have also been doing as well.
The neighbours obviously have a 2nd car which they've been parking across the road and now the OP's started to do a similar thing, so he can leave his own space clear for visitors, the neighbour seems to be getting annoyed about it.
If it was me I think I'd go and see them but don't say anything which might suggest you are aware of any hostility or antagonism.
Just say "Hi, I was trying to park my car across the street but I couldn't manage it cos your car was taking up two spaces. Is there any chance you could try to park a bit more carefully so that I can get my car in as well?" and see what happens.
You might find that a civil chat sorts it all out.
Maybe they ARE a bit miffed that you were parking in their space originally and working an apology about that into the chat will clear the air completely.
And, OTOH, if the neighbour rants at you, or continues to do nasty stuff, you know where you stand and you can respond accordingly.
Discussing it 'like men' would be a great idea if I wasn't a young 'female' against 2 women and a guy - plus, I drink cider!
They have no right to ask the clients to move but when they have done so all clients have obliged.
Now they're TRYING to get my other neighbour on it leaves me in a crap situation apart from being grateful that he's not following suit... It's hard living with 'bad parking' from time to time but it's even worse living with idiots who want to play games!
As for dropped kirbs it's an unmade road with no kirb does that make a difference?
...as for talking to each other we've got on well until the past 6 months.. I've worked from home for 4 years I don't really know what's changed!
I mean, go see them and say "Hi, I couldn't help notice the sign you've put up and I just wanted to say that I'm sorry if you thought you had to put that up because of my visitors parking in front of your house. I've started parking across the road, where you park your 2nd car, to keep my space clear for visitors so you shouldn't be inconvenienced again".
That works in an apology and lets them know you're aware of what's going on with their 2nd car.
Hopefully, your apology will be enough to persuade them to stop playing silly-buggers by taking up a lot of space parking their 2nd car.
Yes, it makes a huge difference.
Who owns the road?
Is it a private road?
An unadopted road?
Are you a 'frontager'?
However, the correct solution to this situation here could be resolved with a conversation and should have been.
So plus1 for hi and have chat.
We were initially talking about highways, not about private land used as a carpark as you are suggesting.
There was at my last flat, in suburban South West London.
It's a Victorian conversion of 10 flats, with 10 parking spaces out the back. Each were allocated to a flat. Mine was clearly marked within the plans, given to me at purchase time.
In effect it is either privately owned by an individual, or more likely group owned by people whose property "front" the unadopted road.
In the case of the latter, each property would "own" the border onto the road up to half the width.
Even with this said, the road is probably still classed as a highway that should not be blocked, as individuals would have easements on it. (and possibly a public right of way too?)
The bottom line is, it is highly likely that any parking cannot be enforced by any individual frontagers, and certainly the police and council would not ticket or enforce any regulations over it.
We were talking about public highways, not private land owned by yourself.
and even then, it's a civil matter not a legal matter.
Are the neighbours harbouring a concern about a young, single female having "clients" roll up several times a day?